MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- The 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment Savages mowed down the Combat Logistics Battalion 3 Outlaws during a football game at Riseley Field, Nov. 5, 2013.
This was both teams’ third game of the regular season. Each team had high expectations to win the game.
“Tonight our goal is to bring intensity to the field,” said Kwame Deshields, a wide receiver for the Outlaws. “We like to talk with our pads, meaning we want our play to do all the talking for us.”
The Outlaws caught the opening kickoff and brought it to the 23-yard line to start their first possession. After a few plays and a false-start penalty, the Outlaws were forced to punt. The Savages blocked the punt to put themselves on the Outlaws’ 25-yard line and started their drive into the end zone.
The Outlaws’ defense went onto the field fired up to hold the Savages out of the end zone. The Outlaws’ defense held off the Savages’ offense until fourth down. An illegal substitution gave the Savages a first and goal opportunity.
The next play, the Savages’ running back powered the ball into the end zone for a touchdown but couldn’t capitalize on the two-point conversion.
Riseley Field doesn’t have field goal posts, so after each touchdown, players had to choose whether to go for a two- or three-point conversion. In order to get a three-point conversion, a team had one play to reach the end zone from the 5-yard line. If a team reached the end zone from the 3-yard line, they would receive two points. Those were the only two options offered to replace an extra point kick.
The Outlaws started their next drive on their own 20-yard line after the touchback. After a first down, the Outlaws’ quarterback threw an interception, which was returned by the Savages to the Outlaws’ 15-yard line.
“Our defensive line did a great job getting pressure on the quarterback tonight,” said Gregory Burkes, a safety for the Savages who had two interceptions during the game. “If it wasn’t for our defensive line getting to the quarterback, I wouldn’t have been able to get any interceptions.”
The first quarter rolled to a finish with the Savages on top 6-0. The Savages ran the football in for a touchdown to start the second quarter and made a successful two-point conversion. The Outlaws started on their 20-yard line with the possession. They couldn’t get a first down and were forced to punt the football. The Savages began their drive down the field from their own 17-yard line.
After a couple plays, they found themselves in a fourth down scenario. The Savages decided to fake the punt. Their gamble worked and they reached a first down. Shortly after the fake punt, the Savages threw a pass to the running back, which got them down to the 1-yard line. The next play, the quarterback handed the ball off to the running back for a touchdown. The Savages capitalized with the two-point conversion.
The Outlaws started their drive on the 20-yard line once again. The Savages’ defense held the Outlaws to a three-and-out possession, which forced them to punt the football. During the punt, the Outlaws recovered their own fumble but had to turn the ball over due to the loss of downs. At the end of the half the Savages led 22-0.
The Savages started on offense at the beginning of the third quarter. After getting themselves into a third-and-18 situation, they managed a 20-yard run for a first down. To the Outlaws’ benefit, the Savages fumbled and turned the ball over.
The drive started on their 25-yard line and drew a late hit on the quarterback for a first down. Soon enough the Outlaws found themselves in Savages territory but couldn’t squeeze it in for a touchdown. The Savages’ defense prevented the Outlaws’ offense from gaining any more ground and shortly had the ball back in their possession.
On first-and-10 the Savages’ running back took the football 75 yards down the field for a touchdown and also scored the two-point conversion.
“Our line was getting a great push off the ball tonight,” said Jauvaurion McCray, a running back for the Savages, who rushed for three touchdowns. “I could drive a truck through the holes I was running through. It just made my job that much easier. We are playing great team football right now and I think it’s only going to improve.”
A touchback forced the Outlaws to start on the 20-yard line again. They passed for a first down but had an unnecessary roughness penalty called against them, which brought the Outlaws back 15 yards. The Outlaws were faced with a second-and-25 situation, which would have to be tackled in the fourth quarter.
The third quarter ended with the Savages leading 30-0. Eventually the Outlaws had the opportunity to overcome a fourth-and-long situation but couldn’t pull it off. The Savages took possession of the football on the Outlaws’ 30-yard line and made it to the end zone.
Shortly after the Savages started their drive, they got a first down and looked to strike in the end zone. After the Savages got another first down, they ran the ball in from the 4-yard line for another touchdown but couldn’t manage to score the two-point conversion.
The Outlaws started on their own 20-yard line once again and managed to get a couple first downs. An overthrown Outlaws pass was intercepted and was rushed by the Savages to the Outlaws’ 15-yard line.
“Our team as a whole played very well together tonight,” Burkes said. “We had a great week of practice before the game and if we continue to keep making progress it’s going to be a successful season for the Savages.”
The Savages realized the game was almost over and positioned themselves in a victory formation to take a knee to end the game.
The ending score was a 36-0 win for the Savages.